In a recent interview, Paresh Rawal described Naseeruddin Shah as one of the few people in the Hindi film industry who speak their heart out.
Paresh Rawal is a former member of parliament under the Bharatiya Janata Party. But the actor has no objection to his colleagues from the Hindi film industry voicing their criticism against the ruling party. He said celebrities like Naseeruddin Shah, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan are devoid of any “hidden agenda”.
“If Naseer bhai, Aamir or Shah Rukh have something to say, I cannot dismiss it. I will listen to them because they have no hidden agenda, they have no selfish motives. They are saying this for my own benefit. So I will listen, introspect and try to improve. It doesn’t matter. I respect them, they love me,” Paresh said.
In an interview with The Lallantop, Paresh Rawal called Naseeruddin Shah one of the few people in the Hindi film industry who speak their heart out. “You feel very safe and content with people like these.
Otherwise you can’t keep looking over your shoulder again and again,” Paresh said. In an interview with The Lallantop last year, Naseeruddin’s wife Ratna Pathak Shah also spoke openly about her enduring personal and professional equation with Paresh despite their different political ideologies.
“We all belong to a time when political beliefs did not come in the way of interpersonal relationships. This is a recent trend. But as long as I am around, I will not let this happen. Nor will I let this happen to my loved ones,” said Ratna, who has starred alongside Paresh in films like Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na and Hum Do Hamare Do.
Naseeruddin Shah has been a vocal critic of the BJP-led government, especially in terms of discrimination against Muslims. Paresh considers Naseeruddin his idol. He has also directed the veteran actor on stage in the play The Sleuth.
Naseeruddin returned the favour by casting Paresh in his directorial debut Yun Hota Toh Kya Hota in 2006. They have also shared screen space in Mahesh Bhatt’s 1993 relationship drama Sir.
Aamir Khan had expressed his concerns about religious intolerance in 2015, confessing that he was considering leaving the country so that his young son Azad could have a safe upbringing. Paresh has worked with Aamir in films like Rajkumar Santoshi’s 1994 cult comedy Andaz Apna Apna and Mansoor Khan’s relationship drama Akele Hum Akele Tum.
Paresh Rawal express he would listen to Naseeruddin Shah, Aamir Khan and Shah Rukh Khan’s criticism of the government: ‘They have no particular agenda, no selfish motives’
